For Beginners
A New Jersey library holds a table open every Wednesday, no sign up
The Ocean County Library runs three and a half hours of mah jongg a week in Little Egg Harbor, and its listing says new players are welcome.
The Little Egg Harbor branch of the Ocean County Library runs Mah Jongg at the Library every Wednesday from 12:30pm to 4:00pm in the branch meeting room at 290 Mathistown Road. The library's own calendar lists it through September on the 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd and 30th, and shows it running earlier in the year on the same day and hour.
The listing is short. It asks players to "bring your current year gaming cards and game sets," which is the annual card the American game is played from, and the local calendar version adds "new players welcome!" The library marks the program for adults, lists no fee, and states that no registration is required. The branch takes questions at 609-294-1197.
What is notable is how little the library is asking of anyone. There is no term to commit to, no seat to reserve and nothing to pay, and the room, the schedule and the promotion all come from an institution the town already reads. For a player who has learned the card but has nobody to play with, a standing weekly time on a public calendar is often the whole obstacle removed.